1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to surgical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to a retraction apparatus for use with a surgical port device. In addition, the invention relates to an improved methodology for performing retraction of the tissue surrounding a surgical port device.
2. State of the Art
Laparoscopic (Thoracoscopic) surgical procedures are facilitated by the use of surgical ports (commonly referred to as “trocars”) that provide access into the abdominal cavity (thoracic cavity). Various surgical instruments (e.g., imaging probes, cutting blades, clamps/suturing devices, etc.) are inserted into the abdominal cavity (thoracic cavity) via such ports and are manipulated in the cavity. Typically, such surgical ports employ a cannula as the passageway for the various instruments. Often, internal pressures in the body cavity are elevated by insufflation via an external pressure source operably coupled to the body cavity through an inlet in the surgical port. In such configurations, the surgical ports often employ gaskets disposed upstream from the inlet that maintain the elevated internal pressures in the body cavity while inserting/removing instruments through the cannula of the port.
In many laparoscopic/thoracoscopic surgical procedures, it is desirable at some point in the procedure to provide the surgeon with a relatively large size opening into the body. The large size opening enables the surgeon to use larger surgical instruments. It also enables visualization of the surgical site without a camera. Finally, the large size opening enables the removal of larger organs (or pieces of such large organs) through the body wall in less time.
Various surgical retractors have been developed to assist surgeons in retracting tissue surrounding an incision into the body wall. One common configuration for surgical retractors is to mount a plurality of retractors to a circular support ring. An example of such a configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,223. However, this configuration is unsuitable for use with a surgical port device because its nested configuration (when closed) will not fit around a surgical port device. Moreover, the radial position of the arms of the retractor are manually adjusted individually, which is cumbersome and time-consuming.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for improved surgical retraction devices that are suitable for use with surgical ports and thus overcome the limitations provided by these prior art retraction devices.